This is V. Zelensky’s first visit to Poland since the Ukrainian leader angered Warsaw at the end of May by announcing that one military unit would be named in honor of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
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In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped V. Zelensky of the country’s highest award – the Order of the White Eagle.
During the visit, the Ukrainian president is expected to meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
This meeting will take place at a time when tensions over historical issues have complicated relations between the two countries, which became close allies after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The UPA fought both Nazis and Soviets in pursuit of Ukrainian statehood.
Between 1943 and 1945 in Volhynia – a Ukrainian region that belonged to Poland before World War II – it killed thousands of Polish civilians.
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Some representatives of the Ukrainian military view the UPA legacy as an anti-Soviet force. This trend is criticized by both Warsaw and Moscow, which consider the insurgents war criminals and Nazi collaborators.
V. Zelensky arrived in Poland at a time when acts of violence against Ukrainians are increasing in the country.
According to the publication “Rzeczpospolita,” in the first half of 2026, the Polish police received 180 reports of hate crimes against Ukrainians, and their number increased by more than 30 percent compared to the same period last year.
Moreover, recent surveys have shown that most Poles have become more skeptical of Ukraine and no longer support the reception of Ukrainian refugees.
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